The UW Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business annually honors the best and brightest of the South Sound’s businesspeople in its Business Leadership Awards program. Now in its eighth year, the awards program has previously spotlighted businesspeople such as last year’s Business Leader of the Year, Michael A. Tucci, chairman of the board for Tucci & Sons; 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George Weyerhaeuser, retired leader of Weyerhaeuser; 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Fred Haley (deceased), chairman emeritus of Brown & Haley at the time of the award; and 2002 Leadership Award recipient Melanie Dressel, president and CEO of Columbia Bank.

Each year the program recognizes leaders in three categories: large businesses (50 or more employees), small businesses (fewer than 50 employees), and non-profit or government organizations. Judges come from the ranks of the Milgard Business School’s faculty and advisory board members.

Nominations can be submitted by anyone and will be judged on leadership qualities, including how the nominee measures up against the nine learning outcomes that shape the school’s academic offerings — communication skills, quantitative analysis, financial skills, strategic thinking, ethics and business in society, global awareness, teamwork, technology and professionalism.

Sponsors of the Business Leadership Awards include Heritage Bank, Sound Credit Union, Propel Insurance, TOTE and the Franciscan Health System.

Winners will be announced in January, followed by an awards banquet April 29.

Nominations can be made online at http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/business . The deadline for nominations is Dec. 5. For more information, contact the Milgard School of Business at (253) 692-5630.